Veronica plant named ‘Wizard of Ahhs’

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct cultivar of ornamental spike speedwell plant, Veronica ‘Wizard of Ahhs’, with tight compact habit and stiff, freely-branched, early flowering with upright spikes producing large violet-blue flowers and glossy, clean, deep-green foliage.

Botanical classification: Veronica hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Wizard of Ahhs’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the new and distinct cultivar of spike speedwell, botanically known as Veronica hybrid ‘Wizard of Ahhs’, and hereinafter referred to as the cultivar ‘Wizard of Ahhs’ or the “new plant”. The new plant was hybridized on Mar. 8, 2011 by the inventor at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA, with the unprotected, unreleased, proprietary hybrid known as K7-38-309 as the female parent and ‘Blue Pixie’ (not patented) as the male parent. The individual seedling that was ultimately named ‘Wizard of Ahhs’ was identified by the breeder code 11-06-10 throughout the trial period.

The new plant has been asexually propagated by shoot tip cuttings at the same nursery in the greenhouses in Zeeland, Mich., since the summer of 2013 with subsequent asexually propagated plants found to be identical to the original selection with all the same traits as the original seedling.

No plants of Veronica ‘Wizard of Ahhs’ have been sold or disclosed by this or any other name, in this country or anywhere in the world, prior to one year from the filing of this application, with the exception of that was sold or disclosed within one year of the filing of this application and which was either derived directly or indirectly from the inventor.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Veronica hybrid ‘Wizard of Ahhs’ is unique from all other spike speedwell known to the inventor. Several other cultivars may have some similar traits, but this is the only variety known by the inventor to have the following characteristic combinations that establish the new plant as unique:

-   -   1. Tight compact habit with spreading dense mats of foliage.     -   2. Thick upright spikes with numerous large flowers of         violet-blue petals.     -   3. Early blooming period beginning the middle of June in         Michigan and blooming for four to five weeks.     -   4. Glossy, clean, deep green foliage.

The closest comparison varieties to the new plant are ‘Focus Pocus’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,853, ‘Glory’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,932, ‘Sunny Border Blue’(not patented), ‘Goodness Grows’ (not patented) and ‘Atomic Violet’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,780. ‘Hocus Pocus’ is taller and produces a lighter violet purple flower. ‘Goodness Grows’ has a shorter habit and flowers that are more bluish in hue. ‘Atomic Violet’ is taller in habit with different colored flowers than the new plant. Both ‘Sunny Border Blue’ and ‘Glory’ are both taller in habit and not as deeply colored. The female plant is taller than the new plant with longer spikes. The male parent is slightly shorter in habit, and not as broad as the new plant. ‘Twilight’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,414 begins flowering later in the season than the new plant, is slightly shorter and the flowers are not as deep blue-violet. ‘Enchanted Indigo’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,603 is taller in habit, the foliage is not as deep green, vernalization is not required to flower and the flowers are deep violet-blue.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photograph of the new plant demonstrates the overall appearance and unique traits of ‘Wizard of Ahhs’ as a two-year-old plant grown in a full-sun trial garden in Zeeland, Mich. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Variation in ambient light spectrum, source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

FIG. 1 shows the habit of the new plant in full flower.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flowers and buds.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references of Veronica ‘Wizard of Ahhs’ are based on the 2015 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. Veronica ‘Wizard of Ahhs’ has not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype may vary slightly with different growing environments such as temperature, light, fertility, soil pH, moisture and maturity levels, but without any change in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are based on two-year old plants in the full sun trial garden of a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental fertilizer and water as needed.

-   Botanical classification: Veronica hybrid; -   Parentage: Female (seed parent) unprotected, unreleased, proprietary     hybrid known only as K7-38-309; male (pollen parent) ‘Blue Pixie’; -   Plant habit: Hardy herbaceous perennial, with average 30 branched     stems, main stems blooming to about 38.0 cm tall and clumping to     about 54 cm across; flowering beginning mid-June in Michigan and     continuing for up to 5 weeks; -   Propagation: The plant roots from cuttings in about 2 weeks and     finishes to flowering in a 3.8 liter container in 8 to 10 weeks     following a vernalization period of about 8 weeks; -   Roots: Thin, fibrous, highly branched; color nearest RHS 161C; -   Leaves: Simple, flat, elliptic to lanceolate; opposite; serrated     margin with about 2 to 3 teeth per one centimeter; surface glabrous     below and above, lustrous above, matte below; acute apex, attenuate     base; to about 8.0 cm long by 2.0 cm wide decreasing in both length     and width distally; -   Leaf color: Mature leaves adaxial nearest RHS 137A, abaxial between     RHS 137A and RHS 137B; young expanding leaves nearest RHS 143A     adaxial and nearest RHS 144A abaxial; -   Veins: Reticulate, abaxial finely puberulent, adaxial glabrate to     glabrous; abaxial midrib costate; -   Vein color: Adaxial midrib blend between RHS N144A and RHS 145C,     secondary veins nearest RHS 137A; abaxial midrib nearest RHS 147C     with secondary veins nearest RHS 137A; -   Stem: Terete; young stems densely and finely puberulent, mature     stems moderate density and finely puberulent; to about 33.0 cm long     before flowers and about 3.0 mm diameter at base; freely branching     at distal nodes; about 7 to 8 nodes before flowers; average     internode length about 2.1 cm; -   Stem color: Distally between RHS 138A and RHS 138B, proximally     nearest RHS 138B blushed with nearest RHS 187C; nodes same color as     remaining stem; -   Petiole: Simple, slightly concaved upward on edges, margin sparsely     ciliolate; about 1.0 cm long and 3.5 mm wide length shorter and     narrower on distal leaves; -   Petiole color: Adaxial nearest RHS 137A; abaxial between RHS 137A     and RHS 137B; -   Inflorescence: Terminal and lateral; triangular in bud becoming     oblong; -   Buds one to two days prior to opening: Convolute; narrowly oblong;     acute apex; rounded base; about 8.0 mm long and 2.0 mm diameter near     base; -   Bud color: Nearest RHS 90A throughout; -   Flowers: On heavily branched upright spikes in compressed     conglomerate; numerous; zygomorphic; campanulate; approximately 200     per main spike and about 500 per stem with branches; about 10.5 mm     long, about 7.0 mm across and 8.5 mm tall; flowers persist     individually for 4 to 6 days whether on the plant or cut; petals     self-cleaning, sepals and style persistent; flowering portion of     terminal stem about 13.0 cm long and 3.0 cm wide; -   Flower attitude: Mostly outwardly; -   Flower timing: Beginning mid-June and continuing for about 4 to 5     weeks; -   Flower fragrance: None detected; -   Petals: Four; one larger petal above and three slightly smaller     below and to either side; simple; margin entire; apex acute; fused     in basal 2.5 mm to form corolla tube about 1.5 mm diameter; glabrous     abaxial and pubescent with 1.0 mm long hairs in tufted band about     1.0 to 2.0 mm from adaxial base; upper larger petal with rounded     apex, about 10.0 mm long and 4.0 mm wide; side and lower petals with     acute apex, about 10.0 mm long and 3.0 mm wide; -   Petal color: Abaxial nearest RHS 90A and adaxial nearest RHS 90A     with hairs inside tube nearest RHS 91D; not changing with age; outer     corolla tube distally nearest RHS 90A and between RHS 145C and RHS     145D in proximal 1.0 mm; -   Androecium:     -   -   Filaments.—Two; divergent; glabrous; epipetalous about 1.0             mm from base; about 7.0 mm long by about 0.3 mm diameter;             color nearest RHS 86A.         -   Anther.—Dorsifixed, longitudinal; elliptic with acute apex             and rounded base; about 2.5 mm long and 1.0 mm across; color             nearest RHS N92B.         -   Pollen.—Abundant, globose, less than 0.1 mm; nearest RHS 8C. -   Gynoecium: Single, superior; persists after petal drop; about 10.5     mm long;     -   -   Style.—Straight; exserted; attitude mostly outwardly; about             9.0 mm long and 0.3 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 86A.         -   Stigma.—Globose; finely puberulent; about 0.3 mm in             diameter; color nearest RHS 85C.         -   Ovary.—Spherical to slightly elliptic; puberulent distally             and glabrous proximally; about 1.0 mm long and 0.8 mm in             diameter; color nearest RHS 146C. -   Calyx: Campanulate; about 4.0 mm long and 3.0 mm wide at apex; -   Sepals: Four, surface dull, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, acute     apex, basal 1.5 mm fused; sparsely ciliolate margin; adaxial     glabrous; abaxial nearly microscopically puberulent; about 4.0 mm     long and 1.5 mm across; -   Sepal color: Adaxial nearest RHS 138B and abaxial nearest RHS 137B; -   Peduncle: Strong, erect, branched at nodes; terete; puberulent;     about 15 cm long and 2.5 mm in diameter at the base; attitude     upwardly; -   Peduncle color: Nearest RHS 138B; -   Pedicel: Terete; rigid; about 1.0 mm long and 0.5 mm wide; finely     puberulent; attitude mostly outwardly; -   Pedicel color: Between RHS 137C and RHS 138B; -   Bract: One, subtending each flower; linear; narrowly acute apex;     margin entire; sessile; proximal bracts about 7.0 cm long and 1.0 mm     wide decreasing in size distally; -   Bract color: Adaxial between RHS 137A and RHS 139A, and abaxial     nearest RHS 137A; -   Fruit: Ellipsoid, about 3.0 mm long and 2.5 mm across; color between     RHS 166A and RHS 166B; -   Hardiness, pest and disease resistance: The plant grows best with     plenty of moisture and adequate drainage, but is able to tolerate     some drought when mature. Hardiness at least from USDA zone 4     through 9. Disease and pest resistance beyond what is typical of     that of other spike speedwell has not been observed. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental spike speedwell plant, Veronica ‘Wizard of Ahhs’, as herein described and illustrated. 